# RIP James Gandolfini (Tony Soprano) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 19, 2013, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-gandolfini-tony-soprano/661409 "2013-06-19T23:31:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-gandolfini-tony-soprano/661409/41 "2013-06-20T01:56:37Z")
What a shame - a very talented actor and, by all accounts, a very nice guy off-camera, too. Three years older than me, almost to the day. Here’s [CNN.com](http://CNN.com)’s story: [http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/19/showbiz/james-gandolfini-obituary/index.html?hpt=hp\_t1](http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/19/showbiz/james-gandolfini-obituary/index.html?hpt=hp_t1) > [@Zeldar](#): > > Terrible! Worst possible news. Well, I dunno… the Sun exploding might’ve been worse. ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-gandolfini-tony-soprano/661409/42 "2013-06-20T02:27:04Z")
> [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](#): > > Quoted from his Wikipedia entry: > > > [@](#): > > > > Gandolfini purchased a home in the hills of Tewksbury Township, New Jersey, in 2009.[17] > > > > Gandolfini died of a stroke in Italy on June 19, 2013. > > > > Ron is dumb > > Seems legit to me. :dubious: Well, hell. As if James Gandolfini passing isn’t bad enough, now I’ll be forced to reconsider Ron’s intelligence as well. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-gandolfini-tony-soprano/661409/43 "2013-06-20T02:35:00Z")
> [@River\_Hippie](#): > > Rent **The Sopranos** , starting with season one. I promise, you will not be disappointed. That is exactly what I am considering doing this weekend. Except over here, we’ll have to buy it. ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-gandolfini-tony-soprano/661409/44 "2013-06-20T02:42:10Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > That is exactly what I am considering doing this weekend. Except over here, we’ll have to buy it. It will be money well spent. _The Sopranos_ deserves all the praise it gets, as does James Gandolfini. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-gandolfini-tony-soprano/661409/45 "2013-06-20T02:45:01Z")
Loved him in _The Man who Wasn’t There_. I only have seen two _Sopranos_ episodes – great stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-gandolfini-tony-soprano/661409/46 "2013-06-20T02:53:41Z")
> [@Bumbershoot](#): > > It will be money well spent. _The Sopranos_ deserves all the praise it gets, as does James Gandolfini. I’ve heard nothing but good things about the show … except from one fellow American over here who said he watched one episode and didn’t care for it. I have no idea which episode but think it was somewhere into the series and not the first one. I feel he did not give it a proper chance. Okay, I am vowing to seek out The Sopranos this weekend. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-gandolfini-tony-soprano/661409/47 "2013-06-20T03:07:48Z")
Damn. Fine actor. Great series, one of the few worth subscribing to HBO for. RIP, Tony. ---
**Author:** ![Carl\_Corey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Carl\_Corey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carl_Corey)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-gandolfini-tony-soprano/661409/48 "2013-06-20T03:14:17Z")
Did he at least take out that goddamn balrog with him? ---
**Author:** ![JustinC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justinc/32/8083_2.png) [@JustinC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustinC)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-gandolfini-tony-soprano/661409/49 "2013-06-20T09:26:19Z")
What a sad loss, he had a young wife and child, he was still young enough to enjoy life, travel and do very good work. Shit. The Sopranos was easily the best tv series I’ve watched. I viewed all 90-something episodes, 2 per day, over 6 weeks in the summer of 2011 and haven’t been able/wanted to get into any series since then. Nothing compares. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-gandolfini-tony-soprano/661409/50 "2013-06-20T09:50:29Z")
> [@RikWriter](#): > > Author Vince Flynn died of prostate cancer yesterday or early today. Damn. I hadn’t heard that. That bums me out even more. I loved the Mitch Rapp books. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-gandolfini-tony-soprano/661409/51 "2013-06-20T10:44:52Z")
I’ve not seen a single Sopranos episode. It’s time to fix that. Season 1 now sits atop my Netflix queue. mmm ETA: Is it good from the get-go, or does it take time to get its sea legs? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-gandolfini-tony-soprano/661409/52 "2013-06-20T11:16:25Z")
Arrivederci, Tony. (Hope I spelled that right.) ---
**Author:** ![Cumbrian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce7236/32.png) [@Cumbrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cumbrian)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-gandolfini-tony-soprano/661409/53 "2013-06-20T11:18:57Z")
I am seeing Bruce Springsteen tonight. I imagine Steve Van Zandt is going to be pretty cut up and may well make some sort of reference. Too young. Too much stuff still to do in his life. Leaving behind a small child. Very sad. At least we have a complete classic series showing him at his pinnacle, as well as his other work in film and TV. Small comfort though. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-gandolfini-tony-soprano/661409/54 "2013-06-20T11:24:13Z")
Very depressing news. He was a great actor and reportedly a nice person, too. RIP James Gandolfini. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-gandolfini-tony-soprano/661409/55 "2013-06-20T12:46:19Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > I’ve not seen a single Sopranos episode. It’s time to fix that. Season 1 now sits atop my Netflix queue. > mmm > > ETA: Is it good from the get-go, or does it take time to get its sea legs? Unlike a lot of other quality shows, The Sopranos grabs you from the first episode. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-gandolfini-tony-soprano/661409/56 "2013-06-20T14:28:42Z")
The Sopranos was an excellent series that did have some ups and downs in quality, but Gandolfini’s acting was always outstanding. Edie Falco’s, too. Even Tony’s breathing was distinctive and communicated a great deal about the character. If that was the only thing he’d done it would still be a legendary performance. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-gandolfini-tony-soprano/661409/57 "2013-06-20T14:43:54Z")
He sleeps with the…truffles? Good actor, great series. But I always found the idea of him going to a psychiatrist pretty unrealistic-that is something no Mafia kingpin would do. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-gandolfini-tony-soprano/661409/58 "2013-06-20T15:02:52Z")
Did anyone else hear the rumor that the crowd waited 11 seconds before calling the ambulance? ---
**Author:** ![BlackKnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb8c5e/32.png) [@BlackKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackKnight)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-gandolfini-tony-soprano/661409/59 "2013-06-20T16:31:34Z")
From the New York Times story about his death: > [@NY Times](#): > > James Joseph Gandolfini Jr. was born in Westwood, N.J., on Sept. 18, 1961. His father was an Italian immigrant who held a number of jobs, including janitor, bricklayer and mason. This makes me think of the scene where Tony was pointing out a building (cathedral?) to AJ and telling him about how his grandfather had built it. ---
**Author:** ![PookahMacPhellimey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pookahmacphellimey/32/3175_2.png) [@PookahMacPhellimey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PookahMacPhellimey)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-gandolfini-tony-soprano/661409/60 "2013-06-20T17:05:02Z")
I’m just so sad to hear about this. I’m rarely affected much by celebrity deaths, but watching the Sopranos was a family ritual and we would often comment about what Tony would say or do in a certain situation. I’m not conflating the actor and the character, but it takes very good acting to make a person so real that you feel you know them. To put viewer in that complicated position of “he’s an animal, but I like him dammit”. Acting genius, and he seems to have been a decent person too. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-gandolfini-tony-soprano/661409.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-james-gandolfini-tony-soprano/661409.md?page=4)